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United States Patent |
5,564,649
|
von Hoessle
,   et al.
|
October 15, 1996
|
Apparatus for the remote control of missiles or torpedoes
Abstract
The invention provides an apparatus for the remote control of missiles or
torpedoes launched from a launching container, by means of a cable of
which a portion is wound onto a supply reel connected with the launching
and of which the other portion is wound onto a supply reel in the missile
or the torpedo. The supply reel in the launching container is arranged on
the forward end of the container, and the supply reel in the missile or
torpedo is arranged on the rearward end of the missile or torpedo. The
cable section between the two supply reels, before the launching of the
missile or torpedo, is fastened along the major portion of its length on
the interior wall of the launching container, by means of a gluing
arrangement which consists of a material whose combustion temperature is
at least by 800.degree. C. lower than the melting temperature of the
optical waveguide, or by means of a flexible clamping arrangement whose
holding force can be adjusted.
Inventors:
|
von Hoessle; Wolfgang (Riemerling, DE);
Seiffarth; Ernst-August (Taufkirchen, DE)
|
Assignee:
|
Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG (DE)
|
Appl. No.:
|
417612 |
Filed:
|
April 5, 1995 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Apr 27, 1994[DE] | 44 14 737.6 |
Current U.S. Class: |
244/3.12; 89/1.811; 89/1.816; 102/504; 114/21.1 |
Intern'l Class: |
F41G 007/32 |
Field of Search: |
244/3.12
102/504
114/21.1
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
3265023 | Aug., 1966 | Hollingsworth, Jr. et al. | 114/21.
|
4573647 | Mar., 1986 | Laten et al.
| |
5022607 | Jun., 1991 | Schotter | 244/3.
|
5031997 | Jul., 1991 | Redford et al.
| |
Foreign Patent Documents |
0337254A2 | Oct., 1989 | EP.
| |
0342525A2 | Nov., 1989 | EP.
| |
0358808A1 | Mar., 1990 | EP.
| |
0404367A2 | Dec., 1990 | EP.
| |
0443623A1 | Aug., 1991 | EP.
| |
0504049 | Sep., 1992 | EP.
| |
3818840 | Jun., 1988 | DE.
| |
1016410 | Jan., 1966 | GB.
| |
Primary Examiner: Carone; Michael J.
Assistant Examiner: Montgomery; Christopher K.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Evenson, McKeown, Edwards & Lenahan P.L.L.C.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An apparatus for the remote control of a vehicle launched from a
launching container, comprising:
a cable for transmitting control data to said vehicle;
a first supply reel arranged inside and at a forward end of said launching
container, and having a first portion of said cable wound thereon; and
a second supply reel arranged at a rearward end of said vehicle and having
a second portion of said cable wound thereon; wherein
a remaining section of said cable, which extends between said first and
second supply reels, is fastened to an interior wall of said launching
container by a gluing arrangement which extends along a largest portion of
said remaining section; and
said gluing arrangement comprises a material which has a combustion
temperature that is at least 800.degree. C. lower than a melting
temperature of said cable and having a strength sufficient to retain said
remaining section fastened to said interior wall during launch of said
vehicle.
2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said vehicle is a torpedo.
3. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said vehicle is a missile.
4. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said cable is an optical
waveguide.
5. An apparatus for the remote control of a vehicle launched from a
launching container, comprising:
a cable for transmitting control data to said vehicle;
a first supply reel arranged inside and at a forward end of said launching
container, and having a first portion of said cable wound thereon; and
a second supply reel arranged at a rearward end of said vehicle and having
a second portion of said cable wound thereon; wherein
a remaining section of said cable, which extends between said first and
second supply reels, is fastened to an interior wall of said launching
container by a gluing arrangement which extends along a largest portion of
said remaining section;
said gluing arrangement comprises a material which has a combustion
temperature that is at least 800.degree. C. lower than a melting
temperature of said cable; and
said gluing arrangement comprises a cotton strip which is saturated with
nitrocellulose, and is fastened on the interior of said launching
container by means of an adhesive.
6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said adhesive is an epoxy
resin.
7. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein a blank holding device is
provided between said gluing arrangement and the interior wall of the
launching container.
8. An apparatus for the remote control of a vehicle launched from a
launching container, comprising:
a cable for transmitting control data to said vehicle;
a first supply reel arranged inside and at a forward end of said launching
container, and having a first portion of said cable wound thereon; and
a second supply reel arranged at a rearward end of said vehicle and having
a second portion of said cable wound thereon; wherein
a remaining section of said cable, which extends between said first and
second supply reels, is fastened to an interior wall of said launching
container by a flexible clamping arrangement having a holding force
sufficient to retain said remaining section fastened to said interior wall
during launch of said vehicle, but small enough to release said remaining
section if the launching container is moved during travel of said vehicle
after launch.
9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said cable is an optical
waveguide.
10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said vehicle is a torpedo.
11. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said vehicle is a missile.
12. An apparatus for the remote control of a vehicle launched from a
launching container, comprising:
a cable for transmitting control data to said vehicle;
a first supply reel arranged inside and at a forward end of said launching
container, and having a first portion of said cable wound thereon; and
a second supply reel arranged at a rearward end of said vehicle and having
a second portion of said cable wound thereon; wherein
a remaining section of said cable, which extends between said first and
second supply reels, is fastened to an interior wall of said launching
container by a flexible clamping arrangement having an adjustable holding
force; and
the clamping arrangement comprises at least one elongated brush whose
bristles extend transversely to a longitudinal axis of said cable.
13. An apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said clamping arrangement
comprises two elongated brushes whose bristles extend toward each other,
transversely to the longitudinal axis of the cable.
Description
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for remote control of
missiles or torpedoes launched from a launching container, by means of a
cable transmitting the control data. In such systems, a portion of the
cable is wound on a first supply reel connected with the launching
container, and the remainder of the cable is wound on another supply reel
in the missile or the torpedo. The first supply reel is arranged in the
forward end of the launching container, while the other is mounted at the
rearward end of the missile or torpedo, and the cable section between the
two supply reels before the launching of the missile or torpedo is
fastened along the major portion of its length on the interior wall of the
launching container.
Because of their high transmission band width and very low damping, optical
waveguides are preferred for use in the remote control of missiles or
torpedoes. Such waveguides make it possible to transmit image and
condition data in real time from the missile to the ground and, at the
same time, transmit steering and switching commands in the opposite
direction. However, because a glass fiber is used for the optical
waveguide, particularly in the case of a missile, considerably more
difficulties must be overcome than were previously encountered when
guidance wires made of a ductile material were used. Damage to the glass,
such as microcracks in the glass surface or microscopic impurities will
very rapidly result in glass breakage when subjected to stress,
interrupting the transmission, which is tantamount to losing the missile
or the torpedo.
An important prerequisite for the use of optical waveguides wound onto
supply reels for the remote control of missiles and torpedoes is therefore
the avoidance of high stress when withdrawing the optical waveguides.
When the missile or the torpedo is launched, an optical waveguide, like a
guidance wire, is unwound from the reel situated in the rear of the
missile or the torpedo, and will therefore have zero velocity relative to
the surrounding air or water. Thus, theoretically, except for the stress
caused by the unwinding operation, no forces will act upon the optical
waveguide. At the start of the unwinding operation from the supply reel on
the missile or torpedo, the forces which counter the unwinding tensile
forces are absorbed by the holding device for the optical waveguide at the
launching system. However, as the flight progresses, the pull at the
launching point is reduced because the frictional forces of the air or of
the water alone are sufficient to unwind the coil, and the portion of the
transmission path which is closer to the launching system will slowly
slacken.
However, if the launching system, such as a launching container, moves
during the flight of the missile or the travel of the torpedo, the
slackening of the optical waveguide will generally not be sufficient to
accommodate the move, and a length of optical waveguide required for the
movement of the launching system must be made available by way of a
compensating reel at the launching system. If the launching container of
the launching system is situated on a vehicle, an airplane, a helicopter
or a high-speed boat, it is possible for large movements to occur during
the flight or travelling time, and thus, fairly large lengths may possibly
be wound off the compensating reel.
The launching container, from which the launch takes place, is normally
provided as a protection against outside environmental influences during
handling and transport of the missile or torpedo. Since, during the
launch, after leaving the launching container, the missile or the torpedo,
if possible, should not pancake, a relatively high acceleration is
required. So that the tensile load on the optical waveguides does not
become too high during acceleration phase, it is advantageous to start the
unwinding operation with the first movement of the missile. That is, if
possible, there should be no slack between the fixed point in the
launching container and the first winding of the reel. In addition, the
fixed point in the container should be selected such that the pulling
direction between the fixed point and the outlet gap of the optical
waveguide out of the reel extends in a straight line and in the direction
of acceleration of the missile or the torpedo.
Since the supply reel for the optical waveguide is situated on the rear of
the missile or torpedo, the coupling point (that is, the fixed point) of
the optical waveguide must be in the inside rear in the container. This
necessity, however, has been found to present problems in many cases. In
particular, the following disadvantages may be mentioned:
Sharp edges in the interior of the container (for example, launcher rails
or plug connections) may damage the very sensitive optical waveguide. This
is particularly true when the optical waveguide is also impacted by the
exhaust plume of the booster which penetrates the launching container;
If the missile or the torpedo is deflected from the original launching
direction after leaving the launching container, the optical wave guide is
bent on the forward container edge. Particularly when the forward
container edge is not softly rounded, sharp edges may damage the optical
waveguide.
If the compensating reel is mounted in the rear in the container, during
the unwinding of additional lengths from the compensating reel, the
optical waveguide may not only be bent by the forward edge of the
launching container, but may also be pulled over a possibly sharp edge and
therefore torn off.
It has therefore been suggested that the coupling point for the optical
waveguide (or a guidance wire) be located in the forward end of the
launching container, or even located outside of the container. For this
purpose, U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,997 describes a missile launching container
in which the supply reel is arranged at the forward end of the container,
and the supply reel in the missile is arranged on the rearward end of the
missile. That part of the optical waveguide which, before the launching of
the missile, extends between the two supply reels, is glued along the
largest portion of its length to the shell of the missile. During the
launch, the optical waveguide is torn out of the glued connection by the
forward movement of the missile until it is finally unwound from the
supply reel. Although this arrangement has the advantage that the optical
waveguide remains outside the operating range of the exhaust plume during
the launch, it has the disadvantage that, as the result of the launching
acceleration, the missile has already reached a high velocity before the
start of the withdrawal from the reel, and hence the optical waveguide is
subjected to extremely high acceleration forces.
Known missiles with similar arrangements (such as MILAN) already have a
velocity of approximately 80 m/s, at the start of the wind-off. At this
velocity, guidance wires with ductile electric conductors made of copper
and a ductile polyester covering can still be reeled off without tearing
despite the abrupt, shocklike start. However, the use of optical
waveguides is not possible in the case of such jerky peak loads, because
glass with its very high modulus of elasticity is virtually not ductile
and the jerk is not absorbed. Thus, only an optical waveguide which is
reinforced by materials of a still higher modulus of elasticity, such as
carbon fibers or kevlar fibers, may be considered for such a use.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a launch system which
can use unreinforced optical waveguides for the remote control of missiles
or torpedoes launched from a launching container, with the coupling point
displaced toward the front of the launching container so that the use of
an equalizing reel is possible, and the unwinding operation starts as
early as with the movement of the missile or of the torpedo.
This object is achieved according to the invention by a novel arrangement
for fastening the optical waveguide on the interior of the launching
container, using a material which easily releases the waveguide upon
launch of the missile or torpedo.
In a first embodiment of the invention, the waveguide is fastened by an
adhesive material whose combustion temperature is at least 800.degree. C.
lower than the melting temperature of the optical waveguide.
In another embodiment of the invention, the optical waveguide is fastened
by a flexible clamping arrangement whose holding force can be adjusted.
By fastening the cable section between the two supply reels on the interior
wall of the launching container, in a manner which is advantageously
somewhat tighter than the gluing of the individual windings of the optical
waveguide on the supply reel connected with the missile or the torpedo, it
can be ensured that the unwinding operation takes place with the movement
of the missile or of the torpedo. When the missile or torpedo has moved
away from the launching container so far that the atmospheric friction or
the catching of the optical waveguide on an obstacle, such as a tree top,
no longer allows a feeding of additional lengths from the missile, and the
carrier vehicle moves, this glued arrangement is torn open, starting in
the direction to the forward end of the launching container, to the
compensating reel (or supply reel) possibly provided there.
In the selection of a suitable adhesive material, care must be taken that
the glued arrangements can be stored on a long-term basis without
significant change of the mechanical holding force, and that the holding
force remains the same under all environmental conditions. That is, in a
given temperature range, the bending radius of the optical waveguide must
not become too small during the tearing-open of the fastening in order to
avoid a breakage, and the fastening must be able to withstand the
intermittent high temperatures of the gas jet in the case of a booster,
but then can definitely burn-up.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will
become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention
when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a launching container with an
inserted missile and a displaced optical waveguide;
FIGS. 2a-2c are views of the fastening of the optical waveguide on the
interior wall of the launching container by means of a glued arrangement;
and
FIGS. 3 and 4 are views of the fastening of the optical waveguide on the
interior wall of the launching container with a clamping arrangement.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a launching container 1, which
is also used for the transport of a missile 2 that is conventionally
disposed therein. After the launch, the missile 2 (or a torpedo) is
controlled by an optical waveguide, of which a portion is wound onto a
supply reel (or compensating reel) 4 provided in the forward end in the
launching container 1 (that is, at that end through which the missile or
torpedo leaves the launching container). The other portion of the optical
waveguide is wound onto a supply reel 3 arranged in the missile or torpedo
2 and is carried with it, away from the launching container. The largest
portion of the section 5 of the optical waveguide between the two storage
reels 3 and 4 extends parallel to the missile 2 on the interior wall of
the launching container 1, and is either glued to the interior wall of the
launching container, or is held on it by means of a clamping device.
In the case of gluing, the optical waveguide is advantageously held on the
interior wall of the launching container by a cotton strip saturated with
nitrocellulose which is glued to the interior wall by means of a gluing
resin, such as epoxy resin. The burn-off temperature of the cotton strip
(which corresponds to a conventional wick) amounts to approximately
1,200.degree..
FIG. 2 contains three cross-sectional views of that section 5 of the
optical waveguide which is held by a glue-type arrangement 6, and extends
on the interior wall of the launcher tube. In FIG. 2a, the optical
waveguide is held by means of a cotton strip which is saturated with
nitrocellulose and is fastened on its two longitudinal edges by means of a
suitable glue 9, such as epoxy resin, on the interior wall of the
launching container.
FIGS. 2b and 2c illustrate alternative gluing arrangements in which a blank
holding device 10, 10' is provided between the optical waveguide 5 and the
cotton strip 6 with the glue 9 which fixes it, in order to facilitate the
mounting of the gluing arrangement.
In another alternative embodiment of the apparatus according to the
invention, the section 5 of the optical waveguide between the two supply
reels 3 and 4 is held on the interior of the launching container by means
of a clamping arrangement, as shown in the cross-sectional view in FIGS. 3
and 4. According to FIG. 3, the clamping arrangement consists of an
elongated brush 7 which extends parallel to the optical waveguide 5 and
whose bristles 8 extend transversely to the longitudinal direction of the
optical waveguide. In FIG. 4, two elongated brushes 7, 7' are arranged on
both sides in parallel to the optical waveguide 5 in such a manner that
their bristles face one another and extend transversely with respect to
the longitudinal direction of the optical waveguide 5. In these
embodiments, the emerging force can be controlled by a corresponding
dimensioning of the brush thickness or of the thickness of the bristles or
of their material. By the selection of a corresponding material for the
bristles 8, such as glass or metal, the optical waveguide 5 can be
protected from the hot exhaust gases of a booster during the launching
operation. In this case, the drawing force is largely independent of the
environmental conditions prevailing at the launch time. Long-term storage
capacity is also ensured in a particularly advantageous manner under all
environmental conditions.
Although the invention has been described and illustrated in detail, it is
to be clearly understood that the same is by way of illustration and
example, and is not to be taken by way of limitation. The spirit and scope
of the present invention are to be limited only by the terms of the
appended claims.
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